Ditching machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

. A. MANN. DITOHING'MAOHINE. No. 543,257. Patented July'ZB, 1895.

A TTOHN E Y S.

3o with a portable housing A, adapted to be suitable motor locatedin'the housing A.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER MANN, OF BERKSHIRE, MICHIGAN.

DITCHING -MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming partof Letters Patent No. 543,257, dated July 23,1895.

' Application filed May 1,1894. Serial No. 509,671. (No model.)

To all whom it mayconcern:

Be it known that L'ALEXANDER MANN, of Berkshire,in the county of Sanilacand State of Michigan, have invented a newand Improved Ditching-Machine,of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. Theobject of the invention is to provide a new and improvedditching-machine, which is comparatively simple and durable inconstruction, very effective in operation, and arranged to readily digup the ground and transport the same to a desired place for dumping.

The invention consists of certain parts and details and combinations ofthe same, as will be hereinafter fully described, and then pointed outin the claims.

' Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of'the im} provement. Fig. 2 is anenlarged sectional side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectionalplanview of the same. Fig.4. is an enlarged sectional side elevation of africtionclutch, and Fig. 5is an enlarged transverse section of themaindriving-shaft and clutch mechanism.

The improved ditching-machine is provided placed on the ground to beditched, and in thishousingis journaled a main driving-shaft B, carryingat one end a pulley B, over which passes a belt B also passing over apulley on the main driving-shaft of an engine or other On the shaft Bare mounted to rotate loosely the two winding-drums O. and C, on whichwind the ends of the runs C and C of a carrierrope or chain, extendingthrough the front end of the housing A to pass beneath guide pulleys Aon the housing A,-and thence along the place to be ditched, as plainlyillustrated in Fig. 1. The winding-drums O and G are adapted to bethrown into and out of gear with the hub D on and rotating with the Eand E, respectively, both alike in construe tion and adapted to scrapeup the ground so as to form the ditch, as hereinafter more fullydescribed. The outer end of the carrier-rope or chain passes overpulleys F held on a crossbar F, connected by' a rope F a chain, or othermeans, with a stump or other post or projection at the outer end of theditch to be formed. (See Fig. 1.)

In order to permit of removing the scrapers E and E from the runs 0 andO of the carrier rope or chain, I provide each run with a Ushaped bail 0adapted to be hooked into scraper and at the front end thereof, asplainly illustrated in the drawings. The eye E on the back of thescraper connects with a hook on the respective run, so that the scraperis readily moved forward or backward, accordingto the direction in whichthe corresponding run 0 or (J is traveling. Each scraper E and E isprovided with suitable handles E adapted to be taken hold of by theoperator, so that when the corresponding scraper is on its forwardmovementthe operator tilts thescraper to carry the front end downward.Then this end passes into the ground, scrapes up the dirt, and when thescraper is filled in this manner the operator releases his hold on thehandles E to let the scraper be carried forward with its load.

Now, it will be seen that. when the several parts mentioned are'in'theposition shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, and rotary motion is given to themain driving-shaft B, then the drumC will wind up its run 0 while theother drum C, on account of being disconnected from the shaft 13,permits its run 0 to unwind. Thus the scraper E moves inward toward thehousing A, and at the beginning of the operation the operatormanipulates the scraper so as to fill the same, as above described, andafter it is filled it travelsinward in the direction of the arrow 0.. Atthe same time the other empty scraper E movesoutward in the inversedirectionof the arrow a. to be returned to'the place for filling thescraper on changing the position of the clutches D and D. When the tooend of the run at the eye E and an empty scraper is inserted in saidrun. A cranev is now brought into use so as to lift the filled scraperand to swing the same to one side of the housing or to the rear thereof,or over a boat, car, or other suitable vehicle, to dump the contents ofthesaid scraper. As shown in the drawings, I provide a hoisting deviceG, having the hooks G, adapted to hook onto eyes E on the top of theback of the respective scraper, as plainly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Athird hook G extends forwardly and engages. the front scraping-edge ofthe scraper to support the latter in a horizontal position with outraising and moving it to one side of thehousing. The. three hooksGandGr. areheld at their upper end. in aring G?,,su1pp'ortediloni asheaveGhung in. a hoisting-rope HI fats: tened at one end to] the, boom. IIand passing over a pulley fl jonrnaled in, the, said boom near. theupper end. The boomthl' is journaled on, the-front end of, the. housingA.,,as. plainly showninthedrawings. Thethoistizng; rope I-l', afterleaving the pulley; H passes over a. pulley H on. the thetopofi thehousing A,,and then the hoisting-rope passes (105M117 ward; through thetop. of the housing into the latter and to a. hoisting-drum HS mounted;to rotate loosely on. a transversely-extending shaft I-I journaled, insuitable bearingswith; in. the housing A. Aclutch mechanismihli 'isadapted to connect the said hoisting-drum; with, a. sleeve or hubv I1journaled. insui-table bearings and secured onthesaid shafhHF, the.

said hub. carrying a gear-wheel, H in, mesh;

with the gear-wheel D? securedonthehubDfpreviouslyv mentioned, the said.hub rotating; with, the main driving-shaft .B, as above. de, scribed.(Seealso Fig, 5,) Thusthe rotary motion of the mainidrivingrshaft B-istran initted by. thegear-wheels D 'and. HP to, the, hub H7; engaged.with the said sleeve, then-the hoist-.- ing-drumI-I is rotated to wind,upthehoistlug-rope I-I, so asto pull on the. hoisting; de: vice G andraise the correspondingsupported scraper E or Et off fromthe ground.

Now, in order to swing the boom, H! seasv to move the hoisted and.loadedv scraper. to one, side, the following, device is provided: Ontheupper end of thevertical shaft of; the;

boom His secured a: wheel I, connectedon opposite sides of itsrimwiththe ropestl and. l passing over pulleys I into,the interior of thehousing A, the said ropes winding, on drums I and 1?, respectivelygeachsecuredon a shaft 1 having a frictiomwheell. adapted to both rowninfrictionaltcontact with-a fric; tion-wheelH on the sleeveonhub. H sothat! rotary motion is impartedto the correspond;

ing shaft 17 from the continuously-rotating I hub I17. Each shaft 17 hasone endzj ournaled. in suitable fixed bearingsierectedtinithemasr K ingA, whilethe other end of, the shaft is.

When the clutch mechanism H5 is journaled in a lever 1 (see Fig. 4,);adapted to; be; actuated by a treadle I under control of the operator.Now it will be seen that when the operator presses the treadle I foreither the drum I or 1 then the corresponding friction-wheel I of. thisdrum is thrown in. frictional contact with the correspondingfriction-wheel 1-1 to cause a rotary motion of this drum to wind up therope I or I It will be seen that when one drum is thus rotated and itsrope wound up the other loosened drum, revolves freely in. an oppositedirection to permit its rope to-unwind. Now the rope :I" or Kin beingwound up, causes a pull on the wheel I so that the latter is rotatedeither to the right or totthewleft accordi-ng to whichzr opei is woundup, The movement of the wheel causBS-asw-ingingot therboom Ilflso astonnovethe-load to, onesidesofi thehousing A. It will be, seen, thatthis machine is. very simple-v and; durable in, construction, is:readily, manipulated, and-iiully under the control of thev operator,Having thus, described my invention, I 5 claim. as new and. desire: to;secureby' Letters iPatenitrl L. A ditching machine, comprisingwindingEdrums, a carrier rope having its ends secured ito the drums, a, scraperdetachably secured jini each run-ofthe carrier rope, and atheistlingdevice provided with: hooks-for engaging :the front and rear of thescrapers-when detached, from, the carrier: rope,substant-iallyEasdescribed 2., In a ditching machine, the combination; iwith thewinding; drums, of a? carrier rope providediwithatbail andathook, andaiscraper provided with. eyes on the sides of itsfront iandw-ithwhichtheba-ilengagesandwithan "eye on: itssback with which theheok engages,

snbstantially as described; i 3., In, a. ditchingg machine, thecombination- 1 l l i 5 l l with Winding drums, a carrier rope, and:

Z'scrapers carried by the said rope and pro- ;vided witheyes'onitsvhack, of a hoisting deivice providedzwiththreehooks, oneltoengage Z-the frontaedgetofthe scraper and: the other twothe eyes onthescraper substantially as I described.

of the rope, of apivoted boom, a hoisting rope-carried by the boom andprovided with 'havingfits ends secured to the-last named idnu;ms,-,andmeans-for operating-both pairs of drums, substantially asdescribed.

. ALEXANDER MANN. Witnesses;

JAMEs-MQGAREN,

4. In aditching machine, the combination with] apair of winding drums, acarrier rope, and scrapers detachably secured inthe runs IOC

